Deceatful
by taylor.lynn
Summary: Cloie and her Protector Aiden want nothing then to rid the world of Vamps, but when a charming and misterious Vamp Kellam Mitchell walk into her life she doesn't know what whats anymore. and with high forces requesting Cloies death she doesn't know anythn
1. Prolouge

**Copyrite!!!! All of these characters are mine ALONE! Please Do NOT Steal!!!**

**Review Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pretty Please!**

**---Lynn.**

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Prologue

Human's, Angel's, Ghost's, and Vampire's; they are the four main species that consist of the world. Humans… well; we're pretty self explanatory… We eat, sleep, laugh, cry, and all that stuff. We go to school, and party, and when we get older we get married and have children, own houses, and work in offices or at home or whichever. But our numbers have been severely diminishing over time.

There are two different types of Angels: Protectors and Watchers. When every human is born, a Protector is born with it. They are like the humans other half; they feel what we feel, they grow as we grow, they live their lives with us every day, they follow us, keeping us away from danger, fighting for us when need calls for it. For most of us they are our best friend, our sister or brother, and sometimes our lover… When a human dies or is killed, their Protector dies also. That is the only way to kill them, by killing their human. Now when Protectors die, they go up in Heaven to become Watchers. Watchers look down on the families they once guarded and do exactly what their name says they do: they watch; steering us in the right direction when the time absolutely calls for it. But both types of Angels exist for one reason and one reason only: to protect us humans. That's what they live for. Without us they wouldn't exist.

Ghosts are pretty self explanatory also. They are souls of humans wandering the earth with unfinished business. Once their business is finished they cross over and live in Heaven with the Watchers. Ghosts are pretty disorienting though because they look precisely like humans and talk like humans and even dress like humans. You probably wouldn't even know there was something different about Ghosts until you tried to touch one and your hand or body went through them like nothing was there. Its weird trust me, I've done it plenty of times by accident.

Now Vampires… I shuddered just thinking the name. Vampires are human's one true enemy. The main thing the Protectors protect us from. Vampires live of off human blood alone, and our population along with the Protectors population has relentlessly gone down these past few years as more and more Vampires are being created. All Vampires used to be human; we don't know when the first one was created and we don't know how, but it's our job, and our Protector's job to stop their race from spreading. But with more and more humans being changed willingly it's not an easy job to accomplish. And the fact that Vamps are immortal, and amazingly strong and fast, the fact that if they get close enough to you they can make you do whatever they want, and of course the fact that they're completely evil… well let's just say it doesn't make taking out their race an easy feat to accomplish. But what Humans, Protectors, and Ghosts want more than anything is to live a life free from Vamps and the only way we can have that is to try…


	2. Chapter 1

**Please Review and tell me what you think!! This is my first offical story and i'd love your thoughts on it!!! Pretty Please!**

**---Lynn.**

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Chapter One

Kellam

I sat in the waiting room perfectly still, staring at my folded hands placed in my lap. I thought I might snap from all of the tension flowing through me just sitting here waiting, or at least break into a sweat. But I can't sweat; at least not anymore and my lack of normal body reactions just added to my already nerve racking tension. Becoming a Vampire wasn't what I had expected it to be. I thought that once you became one of the undead you would lose all sense of your former humanity. That's what all of the Vamps I had seen lately seemed like. They were wicked and power hungry. Even the other Vampires sitting around me in the waiting room looked evil. It was like their skin radiated malevolence and I wondered if I would soon be like them. As my life gradually passed as a Vampire would I slowly lose what shreds of my humanity I had left? Would there come a time in my future when I am able to kill innocent people without pause? I didn't know the answers to my questions, but I hoped not.

One of the Vamps around me laughed and I looked up curiously.

"Well look what we have here boys! A new Fang!" It was a small female Vampire who spoke. She was leaning forward in her chair and pointing at me. She looked like a blonde porcelain doll and couldn't have been any older then fifteen when she was turned.

All of the people in the waiting room irrupted into laughter at her statement. I looked back down at my hands and tried to soothe the anger that her words had caused inside me.

"Do you even know why you're here boy?" the annoying doll asked. _Boy? _My mind screamed at me. I was a full grown man and she was sitting here talking to me as if I were a child. I probably was to her considering she could have been a Vampire for decades. All eyes were on me and I knew I had to answer.

"My maker said I was to report here and the Queen would tell me all I needed to know." I tried to keep the sneer off my face as I answered her. In fact I hadn't a clue as to the purpose of my being here, all I knew was that it was important and I would get the answers I wanted.

The crowd started up again and I mentally kicked myself for answering.

"You're here to get your assignment from the Queen," said a deep voice from behind me. I turned around in my chair and locked eyes with a serious looking old Vampire who had probably been in his late fifties when he was turned.

"Assignment for what?" I hated not knowing the answers, but this man seemed like a better person to talk to then the bitch blonde.

"Well that's what you're here to find out. You get an assignment and when you finish it you get another one. They can be all kinds of different thing," the man answered.

"Shut up Walter!" Bitch Doll hissed and I turned back around to glare at her. "He needs to find things out on his own if he's going to make it as one of us." She said _one of us _like being a Vampire made you a god; which in her eyes probably did. I rolled my eyes and tried not to laugh at her vanity.

"Find something amusing?" Bitch Doll's eyes turned to slits and I saw her fingers curl into claws.

"You have a pretty high opinion of yourself don't you little girl?"

The Vamps around us cracked up at my statement.

The movement was so fast I didn't see it, but suddenly she was standing in front of me her face just inches from my own. I refused to be scared of a teenager no matter how much older she was than me in actuality so I made my movements slow and deliberate as I stood up to face her. She came up to about the middle of my chest; not even reaching my shoulder. Her height was comical and I worked on keeping a straight face.

"Watch what you say, you don't have your precious Protector here anymore to save you," she said glaring.

I placed a dry smile on my face with a bit of effort. I wouldn't let her see how much her words actually affected me. I felt horrible about my Protector Liam's death. He was my best friend and it wasn't fair that he had to die when I became a Vampire when all he ever wanted to do was keep me safe.

"Don't worry little girl, I don't need him here to squish you like a bug."

"I ought to rip your throat out!" she yelled barring her fangs. I could tell that if it were possible her face would be a bright crimson color by now.

I laughed for real this time. "Can you even reach it?" I asked and the Vamps around us burst into a fit of giggles.

Bitch Doll was about to spring when a tall female Vamp came into the room with a clip board in her hand. "Mr. Mitchell, Queen Natasha will see you now." she said emotionlessly.

I followed her down a long dark hallway until we paused at two French styled double doors. She opened them for me and I stepped into what was certainly the most lavish room I had ever seen in my life. And death I suppose. In the room, there was a magnificent chandelier with candles instead of light bulbs, a large black plush carpet that covered the floor, and in the center of the room sat a long dark table; the Queen sat at one end and two strong built Vampires were standing on either side of her that seemed to be working as bodyguards.

I bowed politely and took a seat in the chair opposite the Queen. She was a beautiful Vampire, she was pale of course, but she had a small rose mouth and long black hair and equally dark eyes. I had learned that when you're a Vampire the more people you kill the darker your eyes get, so this woman must have killed hundreds of humans to look like that. She was wearing an expensive looking suit and a tiara that properly marked her as the Queen.

I didn't know how the Vampire politics worked so I said simply in greeting, "Your Highness."

"Hello Mr. Mitchell, it's nice to meet you," she said quickly, skimming over greetings so she could get to the point of my visit. I could tell that she was in an all business mood and I was glad because that meant I would bet out of here quickly. "Now I have called you here today to give you your assignment and answer any questions you may have about your new life."

One of her guards walked around the table and handed me a manila envelope. I opened it and saw a beautiful teenager staring up at me from the picture. She had a heart shaped face with dark brown hair and the most amazing sage colored eyes I had ever seen. She had the face of an angel. She looked like the type of girl that would sit in her room reading Tennyson and watching The Notebook. I flipped over the picture and started reading her profile.

"Her name is Cloie Taylor. She lives in a small city in Pennsylvania called Sunbury. She attends Shikellamy High School and lives in a house with her father David and her Protector Aiden. Cloie and Aiden have an abnormally close relationship. As you know the bond between Protector and Human if different for everyone… Well their bond is strong and when I say this I mean more so than any other human I have ever heard of."

All of what the Queen had just stated was written on the page I nodded. "Where is the girl's mother?" I asked looking up at the Queen.

"She's gone," she said flatly, changing the subject. "Cloie's school records are in there also. The classes she is taking and her grades, also what she is aspiring to be when she graduates." I flipped to the page that held her school records and my eyebrows lifted almost to my hairline when I saw on the paper that she wanted to be a Vanquisher. I couldn't imagine that beautiful woman in the picture fighting anyone let alone trying to kill vampires. I flipped to the next page and it was a list of things she liked and disliked. At the top of the list for likes was pizza and shopping; at the top of the list for dislikes were books and romance. I made a mental note to remember that looks can be severely deceiving.

I finished skimming through the portfolio and looked at the Queen. I would study this more at my own time. "Your Highness, I'm under the impression that you want me to know this girl, what I don't understand is why?" I tried to sound as polite as possible, but I couldn't for the life of me fathom why I was sitting with the Queen studying a folder about a teenage girl.

"I'm sending you on a mission Mr. Mitchell," she said seriously. Queen Natasha leaned her arms on the table and held my gaze intently. "I want you to get to know her personally, romantically if that's possible. Now I'm sure from all of the information I have given you that you can see that this will _not _be an easy thing to accomplish considering your condition and how she views our kind. I want you to make her over look this small factor."

Was she kidding? She had to have been joking. The Queen wanted me to get close to a _human _and not just any human, but a human that wanted to spend their life hunting Vampires. I tried to keep the indifferent look on my face and hide the shock that was actually screaming inside me.

"I-" I started, but she didn't let me speak.

"And Mr. Mitchell, once you have learned _everything _there is to learn about this young woman, I want you to kill her, but not before you get to know Cloie as well as you know yourself. I don't care how long it takes. As you may or may not be aware of, once every Vampire completes a mission they are promoted. And let me just say that if you do this correctly and without flaw, you will be granted with a very large promotion!" The Queen leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smirk on her face. Queen Natasha was actually bribing me to do this, but what I couldn't understand is why this one girl was so important. She seemed harmless; yes she wanted to be a Vanquisher, but put that thought aside and she was absolutely harmless. I mean she was only a human.

"Your Majesty, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm confused as to why the destruction of this girl is so vital. And why I would seek such a large benefit through her demise." I chose my words carefully, sensing that upsetting someone as powerful as the Queen of the Vampire was not a very smart thing to do.

She laughed harshly. "Ah, yes. I thought we might come to this. You're new to our ways, so you might not fully understand them yet. But to answer your question Kellam, Cloie Taylor's information and death are of the utmost importance because she is a severe threat to our Monarchy."

"She's just a girl," I stated, letting my face mirror my shock.

"And that is your first mistake. Do not under any circumstances underestimate her," Queen Natasha said vehemently showing her fangs. "I picked you for this job because you are intelligent, attractive, charming, close to her age, and you are new, so you still have some hold onto your humanity when none of us do. This will help you in your mission to get close to her because she will see that just because you are a Vampire doesn't mean you are like the rest of us. Yet. I don't care what you have to do: lie to her, use compulsion on her, but you will get the information!" she yelled. I felt a chill go down my spine at her words that I will be evil like them someday. "Now if you do not have any further questions I have other missions to assign," she said her voice normal once again and she started filing through the hundreds of papers on her desk.

I grabbed Cloie Taylor's portfolio and headed toward the double doors I came through. Just as I placed my hand on the handle another question popped in my head and I turned around. "You're Highness, what would happen if I failed this mission?"

Queen Natasha didn't even look up from her paperwork. "You would be replaced, of course."

I left then, but not before I heard the double meaning in her words. The Queen had seemed nicer than most of the Vamps I had come in contact with, but she was still the Queen, and that meant she was the most evil of them all. _Of course…_ yes, I didn't have a choice but to get this mission accomplished.

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**I should have the next chapter up no later than Monday!**

**Review if you really want it! haha thanx! **

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	3. Chapter 2

**Make sure to review if you want chapter three!!!!!!!!**

Chapter 2

Cloie

I awoke to the sound of Crossfade's _Cold_ playing on my radio. It's not a bad way to wake up if you ask me; even if I was insanely tired from staying up all night and playing Texas Hold'em with Aiden. Which was annoyingly pointless because he kept slipping into my head and reading which cards I had. He was such a cheater. But after a few hard punches, and a few threats he promised to stop mind reading and I started winning my money back.

I shuffled my way out of bed and sauntered toward the direction of the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and cringed, I looked like some sleep deprived junky. My face was pale and I had dark bags under my eyes. A hot shower was the perfect remedy for this kind of morning. I turned on the shower and let the water temperature increase as I undressed and that's when it hit me. Today was December 21; the day before winter break and my birthday. I was officially seventeen today. I hopped in the shower and screamed when the frigid water hit my bare skin. Goose bumps rose all over my body, making my hair stand on edge. _What the hell!_ I thought as I turned the water all the way on hot. I placed my fingers in the still icy stream and mentally cursed Aiden for using up all of the hot water. I jumped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my frozen self.

"_Aiden!" _ I yelled inside my head. Our connection definitely had its ups, especially when I could yell at him without getting in trouble from Dad. "_Aiden where the hell are you?!" _

I walked quietly down the stairs and paused just outside the doorway to the kitchen; I didn't want Dad to see me. The kitchen smelled of pancakes and bacon and my stomach growled. Aiden was sitting at the kitchen table. He looked at me with an amused grin on his face. His Protector's aura was red, so I could plainly see he was enjoying my frustration.

"_Oh, so now you want me to read your mind? You didn't like it so much last night." _His stupid smile got bigger and I wanted to hit him so bad my hands twitched. I balled them into fists.

"_You are such an ass! I beat you the fair way so you torture me with a cold shower!" _I swear if looks could kill Aiden would be dead and buried by now.

I heard his internal laughter run through my head at my last thought. _"You're plotting my murder now? Sweetheart you give yourself too much credit. And you might want to go upstairs and get dressed unless you're planning on going to school in a towel. I personally wouldn't mind, and I'm sure none of the rest of the guys would either, but you might care when your lovely towel falls down during Vamp. Defense class."_

I yelled in frustration and stomped back up the stairs. I sent curses to Aiden until I passed by the useless bathroom and reached my bedroom. Showering was not an option without hot water. I threw on a long sleeved black thermal and jeans, ran a brush through my hair and headed back down stairs to eat breakfast without looking in the mirror again at my horrible reflection. I inhaled the pancake and bacon scent again and went to grab a plate.

"Good morning honey," my father greeted, giving me a kiss on the cheek. He had pancake batter all over his shirt and I smiled. "And happy birthday you two!" He left the room and came back a moment later with two small wrapped packages. He handed one to Aiden and the other to me. Aiden had gotten what looked like a fancy type of cologne. Great, like he needed another reason for girls to chaise after him. I quickly pulled the paper off mine and gasped at what I saw. It was an old picture of my mother holding Aiden and I when we were babies.

I looked up at my dad and he smiled. "I was waiting for the right moment to give you this. You both were one when this picture was taken so you probably don't remember. It was your mother's favorite. I think this was the last picture she was in before she died."

"Thank you Dad, you couldn't have gotten me a better present," I said sincerely kissing him on the cheek.

Aiden came around and looked at the picture and smiled, his aura turned yellow as he tried to remember the beautiful woman in the photograph. "We should get going or we're going to be late," he said after a long moment.

I placed the picture on the worn oak table and hugged my father goodbye before heading out the door with Aiden.

Vampire defense/fighting was my favorite and last class of the day. I finally got to get out of the stuffy desks and do something productive. Today we humans were working the offence and our protectors were working the defense. I was grateful because that meant I could repay Aiden for the cold shower incident this morning. But mostly because I was in an awful mood for some unexplained reason and this gave me a chance to vent my anger.

_"Oh, someone's feisty today!" _Aiden commented as he picked up on my bad mood. He took his defensive stance and that was all the invitation I needed.

I didn't even bother talking to him, I just went into action. I punched as hard as I could and threw as much momentum into my kicks as I could. I grunted when he got a good blow in and then sprang back into battle. I hadn't realized at first but our little fight was attracting quite a crowd, it seemed as if everyone in class had stopped what they were doing and was now watching us. My body was covered head to toe in sweat shortly after we started and my hair was plastered to my face but I didn't care. My muscles burned in protest but I ignored them, I just kept fighting him. An hour later Aiden managed to pin me, restraining my hands above me head and holding my legs still with his knees. I squirmed angrily, trying to get out from under his hold.

"Stop it!" he yelled seriously, and I looked at him.

"What Aiden?" I tried squirming again but it was pointless, he was a Protector and no matter his age and that meant he was naturally stronger than me.

"What is wrong with you? You're acting like your possessed or something!"

"Nothing! Let me up you big ass!"

"Cloie, I know there is something wrong with you; I can feel it so just tell me," and even quieter he said, "or I'll just read your mind and figure it out." People weren't supposed to know about our unique bond; it was our secret and we tried our hardest to keep it that way. It wasn't always easy when I would answer something he said in my head, but we kept it hidden pretty well all things considered.

And Aiden knew how much I hated when he did that, it gave me no privacy. So instead of causing him to go to extreme measures I answered him, "I don't know what's wrong ok? Maybe I'm pissed because I didn't get a shower this morning," I snapped.

He sighed and I knew he was reading my mind. I squirmed more ferociously and yelled at him to get the hell out. "Aiden that is not right! You can't just do that every time I don't tell you everything! Get _out_!" I heard murmuring around us, probably the other students trying to figure out what I'd meant. I finally managed to get out from under him and I punched him hard across the cheek. His head snapped around and I knew that had to have hurt like a bitch. I stood up and took a step back from him, out of his punching distance. Self preservation won over my fighting instinct.

"What the hell Cloie!" he exploded. "I'm just trying to help you and you hit me?" His aura was rapidly turning black and I knew I had royally pissed him off. The side of his face where I had hit him was slowly turning a bright crimson.

"Then stay out of my head!" I whispered furiously. "It's wrong! Did you ever think that maybe I have things that I don't want to share with you?" Not that I ever had. Aiden was my best friend and I told him everything and he knew everything about me, but that was beside the point. If I didn't want him in head then he should respect my wishes. It was bad enough that he always felt my emotions.

He stepped closer to me and hovered over me like a cloud. A very big cloud surrounded by a gigantic black mass. It didn't faze me an inch, I stood on my toes and glared right back at him. "Did _you_ ever think that maybe me being able to read your mind could come in handy one day when you come face to face with a Vamp?" he said in a soft menacing voice. "No one else has the advantages we do."

"Do you see any Vampires around here?" I yelled. "No, do you want to know _why_ that is? Because it's _daytime _for one, and two because there are no Vampire in school! So stay out of my head while I am in _school_ and at _home_ and the while it's _daytime _and whenever else I ask you too! If we are walking down a long deserted ally at night then its fine, but not when I am perfectly safe!" My voice cracked at the very end from me screaming so loud. The murmuring from the students turned into all out calamity as they over heard the five words that slipped through my big mouth. _Stay out of my head._

I mentally noted the bell ringing and the students who had stood around watching our fighting and witnessing our argument were now clearing out, but I didn't care. I was too wrapped in our little moment to give a damn about anything.

"Cloie I'm your Protector, I'm created to protect you," Aiden said fiercely.

"Ease dropping on my personal thoughts is not protecting me, it's just being nosy!" I snapped, turning around and walking in the direction of the parking lot. Aiden followed far enough behind to give me some personal space but still close enough to protect me from danger. Sometimes his protective instincts were crazy annoying.

The one person I truly hated in this school Rachelle Adams, the stuck up head cheerleader whose favorite words were Paris Hilton's 'That's Hot', stepped in my path as I was about to walk out into the student parking lot. She was surrounded by her usual brainwashed Barbie's and drooling Ken's. I was _so_ not in the mood for this right now.

"Oh look at this," she said feigning sadness. "Trouble in paradise Cloie?" All of her little mindless followers laughed at her comment.

I gave her my death glare and was satisfied at the momentary look of fear on her face. She quickly put her evil sneer back in place. "Don't mess with me today Malibu Barbie, I'm not in the mood."

"Oh scary!" she said sarcastically. "I heard you went all psychotic last period and started trying to kill poor Aiden."

I laughed at that comment for so many reasons. One, I couldn't kill Aiden, it wasn't possible unless I killed myself, and her just stating that made her sound like an utter moron. Two, she had been trying to get Aiden to join her evil hoard of brainless idiots for months and she somehow thought insulting me would be the way to do it. Another perfect show of her unending stupidity seeing as Aiden would take my side over hers any day. And finally and most important she had just called me psychotic for beating up my Protector and she was standing right smack in the middle of said physco's path when the same physco was in a seriously pissed off mood. _Ha!_ And in she was standing in hitting range I might add.

"You're a fucking idiot," I stated when I finished laughing. "Move."

"You might want to listen to her Rachelle," Aiden assisted from behind me. I couldn't tell if he was reading my sadistic thoughts or if he could just feel my growing irritation, but either way Aiden was smart enough to know that if we didn't leave soon this wasn't going to end well.

She didn't move though; instead she placed her hands on her hips and looked around me to Aiden. "It's too bad you weren't my Protector Aiden, I wouldn't mind having you read my thoughts." She smiled, I guess someone from last period had heard that and now everyone was going to know our secret. Great. "If you could I'd show you what a real woman is like, not that sorry excuse for a girl you got stuck with." She turned her face back to me and smiled. "Oh I'm sorry Cloie, did I hurt your feelings?" she asked feigning innocence.

That was it, I'd finally cracked. I pulled back my fist and let it snap forward as hard as I could, connecting it with her pretty little nose. I heard a satisfying crunching sound as the bone broke, and she fell to the ground, blood flowing freely from her face. I followed after her, trying to avoid getting her blood on my hands, but that didn't work out so well seeing as it covered her entire face. I probably should have stopped punching her but I didn't, I just kept hitting her over and over. Hey I was supposed to be psychotic remember? I might as well act like it. Finally someone pulled me off of her, Aiden and another Protector I didn't recognize who was giving me such a look of hatred that I probably would have been afraid if I didn't have so much adrenaline running through my system.

"We need to go," Aiden commanded me, steering me forcefully out into the parking lot and over to our car. The cold air felt good on my face and it helped me clear my rage filled head a bit. I wiped the blood from my hands onto my jeans, not knowing if it was mine or hers and not really caring. I hoped I didn't get AIDS. I looked over to see how Aiden was coping with what had just happened, his aura was an even deeper black than it had been when I hit him, but whether it was from what I did to Rachelle or what she said about me I couldn't tell.

"You go ahead Aiden, I'm going to walk home," I said turning toward the sidewalk. I didn't want to be with anyone right now, let alone Aiden. The whole ride home I would have to hear his responsibility speech and maybe walking home alone would give me enough time to clear my head so I didn't hit him again. Punching someone while they are driving is not a smart idea, and I was simply taking precautions to save both our lives.

He grabbed my arm jerking me back. "You know I can't just leave you Cloie," Aiden said, dragging me in the direction of the car.

"Aiden, it's a four mile walk home," I said exasperated. "I promise I will be home before sun down. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I need time to think, okay?"

"You can think when we get home." I could tell he wasn't going to budge on this subject.

I pulled my arm out of his grasp annoyed. "Aiden I'm not asking your permission, I'm walking home by myself. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself long enough to get home. I need time alone, away from you."

He looked hurt by my words but I didn't care. I was still mad at him for the incident that happened back at the school.

"Fine," he said clearly offended. "Rachelle was right, I would have rather been stuck protecting anyone but you."

It felt like he had just stabbed my in the stomach and he knew it, but I kept the pain from showing on my face. "And stay out of my head while I'm gone, I don't want to worry about you reading my mind."

"Whatever, be home before dark. I don't want to have to come out looking for you." And with that said he jumped into the car and sped off.

I hopped onto the sidewalk and started walking in the direction of home. I didn't notice the dead trees or the cars passing by; I just starred at my feet with my hands in my coat pockets as I walked slowly toward the direction of my house.

Maybe I was being too hard on Aiden… I mean he was insanely annoying at times, like with the shower thing, and always eating all of the food in the house, and the mind reading thing, and always stealing the remote when I was in the middle of a show, but I still loved him. And I knew our bond would come in handy one day when we were off in the world killing Vampires. And I guess it made some sense for him to read my mind when I was upset about something. He only wants what's good for me, and I guess him figuring out my problems and helping me with them isn't such a bad thing. But reading my mind for no reason, and cheating during games does definitely not fall in to the category of things I forgive him for.

Maybe the reason I was in such a bad mood had to do with the picture I gotten this morning. I missed Mom; it's so hard growing up without her. I never had her there to take me shopping, or braid my hair, or play dress up in her cloths and try on makeup. And even though I have Aiden, it would be nice to have her to talk to about all the things that bother me; have a girl to talk to instead of always being surrounded by men. Not that Dad didn't do a good job of trying. He read me bed time stories when I was younger, and tucked me in, and rubbed my hair at night when I woke up with a bad dream. He did an okay job of being both the mom and the dad. He went to work during the day and cooked dinner for us at night. He sometimes cleans the house when he has nothing better to do. But it's still not the same; there is still a whole in my life where my mother should have been. I wish I knew what it was like to grow up having a mother around, to come home and see her in the kitchen baking cookies, or outside in the garden planting flowers. I wish I knew what had happened to her at least… I realized as I walked that that was the real reason I was in such a bad mood, because the police and the detectives never found out that truly happened to her. They just assumed she was dead; they didn't really know. She just disappeared. She didn't take any of her things… Didn't leave a note… So they didn't think she just up and left us. Mom and her Protector Sara just vanished. What other explanation is there that she died? I wish I knew the truth, so that I could stop wishing for her to come through the front door with Sara. I wish I could just stop waiting for her to come home as if her absence never happened. It didn't make sense why someone as sweat and nice as her had to just fade away.

Abruptly, my mood changed. Self pity vanished and in its wake was alarm. I couldn't hear any foot steps behind me, I couldn't hear anyone talking, but I could feel eyes boring into the back of my skull like a vulture zeroing down on its dead prey. And that's when I noticed how dark it had gotten. The sun had set below the horizon and left the sky a beautiful but frightening dark purple. I shivered, but it had nothing to do with the cold even though I could easily see my breath despite the darkness. I could still feel the eyes looking at me from behind. My training to be a Vanquisher had taught me to always know when there was trouble. And right now that trouble was directed at me. My training also taught me to stand and fight, to face my fears no matter that they might be. And that was exactly what I was going to do.

I balled my already bruised hands into fists and turned around, ready to face whatever threat was lurking in the dark. But there was nothing there. The lone street lamp illuminated only an empty dark street. No cars or people, just me. Maybe I was being paranoid, I didn't have Aiden and I never really had been outside past dark without him. Maybe my subconscious was just telling me that I needed to hurry home before something bad did creep out of the dark and try to bite me. I sighed in relief and turned back around ready to start running home.

But there was someone standing in front of me blocking my path. He was absolutely the most handsome man I had ever seen. He was tall and wearing a black leather jacket and black jeans. He had dark hair and a perfect face. But what struck me breathless were his eyes. He had the most beautiful ice blue eyes I had ever seen surrounded by the longest, darkest, blackest lashes imaginable. I knew I should have been terrified out of my mind by this stranger suddenly appearing, but I could not manifest the right kind of fear. He was too handsome. _Please be human!_ My mind screamed. I could even settle for a ghost if I had to. But please, _please_ don't be a vampire. You're too beautiful.

"Ah, hi," I said stupidly. I hoped my face didn't look as mushy as my insides felt. I couldn't stop starring into his eyes.

"Hello Cloie."

"How--?" But I didn't finish, because when he spoke I saw the tips of fangs pop out from under his lips. _No! _My mind screamed. And then I felt the fear; the real kind. The kind that paralyzed my legs, the kind that made my face turn bone pale and made me light headed. "_AIDEN!!" _I screamed out loud and even louder inside my head. And then I think I fainted.


	4. Chapter 3

_**Sorry it took me so long to get this on here!**_

**_If you want the next chapter REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I take constructive critism!_**

**_All characters in this story are owned by me! DONT TRY AND STEAL THEM!_**

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I felt disoriented, like a bear that's been hibernating all winter and wakes up to a new world. I didn't know what was happening to me. I was lying down on something hard and cold, the ground probably, I could feel the cool wind whipping around my face, and I could hear a voice saying my name. It was as if I was swimming under water and someone was talking on the shore above me. I couldn't make out anything they were saying except my name. _Cloie _over and over again. Slowly… very slowly I could begin to make out what the speaker was saying.

"Time to wake up beautiful," the voice said. "You've been out long enough."

I didn't know this voice… It wasn't Aiden; the voice was too deep and he wouldn't call me beautiful if his life depended on it. And it wasn't my father; dad's voice wasn't rough enough to belong to this person…. But I felt like I had heard it before somewhere, I just couldn't remember the time or place. What had I been doing before I got where ever it was I was resting now? I had been walking home... Alone. Aiden hadn't been with me because of the fight we'd had. I remember that. I remember beating up Malibu Barbie too. So I was walking home… Then what? I was thinking about mom, and it was cold. It got dark… and that man following me. His handsome face, his eyes. But was he truly a man? His teeth… So long and pointed. The vampire!

I opened my eyes with a snap and there he was, staring down at me and smiling pleasantly. We were behind a bush and I could see the lone street lamp a few hundred feet away from where I was lying, yet I was isolated. I was sure if I screamed someone in one of the surrounding houses would hear me, but they couldn't see me now. Crap.

"Hello again Cloie," he said still smiling. I could easily see his fangs and the sight of them made my heart rate accelerate. There was no doubt in my mind that he couldn't hear it, vampires have amazing hearing abilities, and with this one sitting so close to me he probably thought of my increased heartbeat as an invitation to the banquet. I tried to sit up and move away from him but he reached out a long pale hand and pushed me back onto the cold hard earth. "Stay put for now;" he ordered. "I'm not going to hurt you." He shifted his position so he was sitting Indian style next to my left arm. I shivered, it was like a ripple spread through my whole body starting at the point where he had touched me.

"What happened? What did you do to me?" I kept my voice level, never taking my eyes off his, while I was silently trying to call Aiden for help. But inside I was panicking.

"I just made you go to sleep for a while; you started screaming for your Protector before I got a chance to talk to you first." He waved his hand nonchalantly as if compelling me to sleep wasn't a big deal at all. Which in his mind it probably wasn't seeing as I woke up alive.

"_Aiden!" _I screamed internally. No answer. Why wasn't he answering? I swear if he's sleeping when I'm about to die I'm going to be really pissed when I see him in heaven.

"So Cloie, how are you?" His face was so handsome; only the terrorizing fangs reminded me he was the enemy.

"How the hell do you think I am? And how do you know my name?" I asked starkly and a little scared. I didn't want to lay here venerable talking to a vampire as if I'd known him for years. If he was going to kill me he should just do it and skip all the cat and mouse games.

"I know a lot about you beautiful, your name is Cloie Taylor, your Protectors name is Aiden, you go to Shikellamy High School, your favorite food is pizza with pineapples on top, and you want to be a Vanquisher." He laughed and tapped the end of my nose with his index finger, like he thought my choice of work was some kind of joke. I shivered again where his cold hand touched the warm flesh of my face.

"What are you some freaky vampire stalker or something? Don't you have anything better to do then spend your nights spying on high school students who are learning to tear your head off?"

"You actually think you could kill me?" He chuckled and picked up my hand and started playing with my fingers. I was shocked. I tried to pull away but it was a useless action. He wouldn't budge. "What happened to your hands?" he asked, referring to the bruises and cuts across my knuckles from where they had met with Rachelle's pretty face.

"I got in a fight today at school," I answered automatically. I watched in amazement as the vampire took my hand to his lips and kissed each one of my knuckles and then as he took my other hand to do the same, before he slowly placed my hands back on my stomach. His lips, so unlike the rest of him were so warm against my skin, he couldn't be a vampire could he? This was too surreal.

I completely forgot that I was supposed to be calling Aiden for backup. I just couldn't feel the appropriate kind of fear around this man. Even if he was blood thirsty and going to kill me.

"What's your name Vampire?" I asked, making sure to keep the annoyed edge in my voice although it was hard to do. I tried to sit up again and this time he let me. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, resting my chin on my knees. I noticed that my movements put me directly in front of him. I probably should have gotten up and ran, but my body wouldn't comply, it just staid sitting. And I think I knew why. His eyes held mine and I felt my face getting hot.

He looked momentarily shocked. "My apologies, I know you so well Cloie that I forgot you have no idea who I am. Let me formally introduce myself, my name is Kellam Mitchell, at your service."

I grunted an acknowledgement. _At my service_! Ha! What a joke. "So can we just get this over with? If you're going to kill me or I don't know eat me or whatever can we just get this show on the road?" I placed a stray hair that was blowing furiously in the wind behind my ear and said sarcastically, "The suspense is killing me."

He looked amazed by my words. "They told me you were blunt, but I already told you I'm not going to hurt you. I meant that. They also mentioned that you never go anywhere without Aiden, I guess they were mistaken on that one seeing as he is nowhere to be seen."

Speaking of Protectors who slack on their jobs… _Aiden wake up you idiot! I'm in trouble here! _I meant that two ways; one obviously that my life was hanging by the belief that vampire's are capable of keeping their word. And two I was seriously starting to not fear this vampire at all. I even halfway believed him when he said he wouldn't hurt me. And that was just a really, really stupid thing to do, I knew that, but I still couldn't stop trusting him.

"Speaking of Aiden, where is your mighty Protector?" he asked eyeing me curiously.

"What, you don't know that already?" I evaded. "I thought you knew everything."

He just shook his head and leaned back onto his hands, stubbornly waiting for my answer. The moon light danced across his pale skin and hair, making his magnificent waves appear blue in white light.

"You know what? I'm not going to tell you where Aiden is," I said disobediently. "So ha! That's something you don't know. And now since you say you're not going to kill me you can stop compelling me to sit here when I want to go home!"

He looked astonished. "How did you know I--"

"You said you knew I was training to be a Vanquisher, well I've been taught to know what it feels like when someone is using compulsion on me," I stated obviously. Honestly I had just been acting on theory, but he didn't need to know that. "You might as well know right now that it's not going to work, so stop trying."

Suddenly I felt me regain control of my arms and legs.

Kellam still had a slightly alarmed, slightly shocked look on his face. I used all of my control not to laugh at his expression. I could shock a vampire.

"Thank you," I said politely as I stood up and turned around to leave. But he was right there in front of me when I turned around.

"Wait just one more moment. I have a present for you. It is your birthday today isn't it?"

"How do you know all this stuff?" I asked amazed and a little annoyed.

He just shook his head and held out a small bottle of some kind of clear liquid I couldn't make out. "Another thing I don't know about you is your connection with Aiden, I've heard it's strong, stronger than anyone else in existence, but if you ever want to get away from him… say tomorrow night at sundown, by the old oak tree on that hill up there," he pointed to a gigantic tree about a mile from where we were standing, "then just drink this, all of it, and your feelings and whatever else will be disconnected from him for a few hours. It won't hurt him in any way, or you, but it might be a good way to get the answers you want from a very knowledgeable vampire such as myself." He winked, took my right hand and placed the small bottle of liquid into it, and then he brought the back of my hand to his lips for a farewell kiss.

"Have a good night," I said quietly. He smiled slightly and disappeared into the dark.

I was dazed… I could still feel Kellam's eyes on me but I didn't know where he was watching from. I stumbled through the grass and past the bush until my feet connected with the concrete of the sidewalk. I fingered the small bottle in my hand and then placed it gently into my coat pocket like it was a precious stone. I still couldn't come to terms with the fact that I had just had a somewhat civilized conversation with a vampire or the fact that I had walked away completely unscathed.

"Wow," I breathed.

I heard his silent laughter surround me, seeping into my bones and making me warm. I still couldn't see him, but I knew he was there. I could feel him.

"Go away," I ordered selfconciously to the darkness around me. I didn't get a reply, but I felt his presence slowly slip away. And then I was alone. Really alone. In the cold dark winter night. I hurried home, turning onto my street and running into my house at full speed. I slammed the door behind me and locked the dead bolt. As if that would help. But I knew no vampire could enter my house, and my fear started slowly to subside. And in its place, irrational rage filled my head. I was furious at Aiden for not coming to my assistance even though the outcome of tonight had turned out better than I had ever expected. But still, what would happen one day if I in encountered a vampire who actually _intended_ to hurt me and Aiden was nowhere to be found? I knew the answer… I'd die, and in his absence so would Aiden.

I was about to stomp up the stairs and burst into Aiden's room and yell at him and tell him everything that had happened, but I fingered the tiny bottle in my pocket and changed my mind. If Aiden didn't know about tonight, then he couldn't stop me from going out tomorrow night. Not that I had agreed to go yet, but if I did, and I told Aiden now, then I knew there was no possibility that I would ever see Kellam again and get the answers I wanted.

I walked up the stairs---passing Aiden's bedroom and hearing him snore quietly behind the closed door---and into my bedroom praying that Aiden would listen to me for once and stop reading my mind while we were in the house.

I changed out of my jeans and tee shirt and put on my pajama shorts and a tank top, removing the bottle of ominous liquid and placing it under my pillow as I got into bed. And I slept surprisingly free of nightmares considering the eventful night I had.

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Sorry its so short! I will have Chapter 4 posted between the next 2 weeks hopefully!


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